


The Obligatory Phantom Thief AU

by hajimes_erect_ahoge



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Its really gay, M/M, Oh also, Phantom Thief AU, Shuichi is oblivious, Slow Burn, So Much Sexual Tension, and kokichi is just like damn boy, and wont take kokichi's shit, anyway, but only during detective work lol, cant say no shots are fired though, dont tell me kokichi is a top, dont worry hes responsible, hahahahahahhahaa yeah bitches your cinnamon roll detective boy gets a fuckin gun, have you seen the love hotel?, he just has his shit together and is confident in his work, hes not as confident in other areas of life, kokichi gets his wig snatched, kokichi has feelings, more like his heart, no nasties here!, no smut sorry kiddos, shuichi has a goddamn spine, shuichi has a gun, we shall see, ya know like in the class trials when shuichi knows his shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-05-16 02:12:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19308547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hajimes_erect_ahoge/pseuds/hajimes_erect_ahoge
Summary: Just as he was about to open the window, Shuichi had slammed his hand against the wall between Kokichi and the window, shocking the smaller boy. With Shuichi’s arm in the way, Kokichi’s access to the window had been cut off.“I’m not letting you escape.” Shuichi asserted.“Oho~ Looks like the detective has got me cornered! What’re you gonna do to me now?” Kokichi smirked. For a cornered criminal, he really did seem to be enjoying this.“I already told you, I’m not gonna do anything!” Shuichi restated, exasperated.“If you’re not gonna do anything then maybe I will.”Before Shuichi could register the feeling, Kokichi had lightly tugged on his shirt to pull him down, bringing him in for a kiss. Their lips lingered on each other for a few seconds before Shuichi abruptly pulled away, blushing like mad. He was rendered utterly speechless.“Neeheehee! Now it was my turn to catch you off guard, Shuichi.”





	1. I Wonder Who the Phantom Thief Is...

**Author's Note:**

> aight listen im not gonna fuck around and write 10 chapters of shuichi at his detective agency and shit imma write one chapter as an introduction and next chapter the stuff starts happening so stay tuned

_Beep beep beep_

The sound of the overly loud alarm blared, rousing the tired detective from his state of sleep. Shuichi Saihara, a detective widely renowned for his natural prowess when it comes to solving crimes, sighed to himself and contemplated hitting the snooze button in order to obtain just five more minutes of precious sleep.

_Beep beep beep_

Reluctantly, the detective sat up in bed, rubbing the remaining bits of sleep from his bleary eyes. He pulled himself out of bed and mulled over in his head what he had to do that day. Shuichi had a passion for detective work, there was no doubt about that, but nonetheless there were times where his job just completely exhausted and overwhelmed him. There were certain aspects of the job that crept into the deepest corners of his brain and refused to leave, haunting him for the rest of his career: the look on the face of the culprit when they are being taken away, the sorrow of a family being told that they had lost a loved one, etc. 

But what was bothering the detective at this particular moment was something else. He had been working on a case for almost a year now and had made little to no progress. Completely stumped and frustrated at the lack of evidence, Shuichi swore to himself that he would find the thief that was behind the theft of dozens of valuable and irreplaceable items. But he could only hold his resolve for so long, and after a year he was beginning to think that it was time for this case to be reviewed by a fresh pair of eyes. Not wanting to feel the sting of giving up just yet, Shuichi told himself that today would be the day he would make a breakthrough. There was this feeling, something inside of him that was telling him that today would be different. Opting to listen to his intuition, the detective began to prepare himself for another long day of work.

\---------

“Infamous Phantom Thief Pulls Off Yet Another Heist”

“Highly Secured Painting Mysteriously Disappearing Overnight”

“Detectives Have Made Little Progress To Uncovering the identity of the ‘Phantom Thief’”

Shuichi sighed to himself at his desk, hands clasped on the back of his head as he stared down at every article he had concerning the case at hand. The case was regarding a so-called “Phantom Thief” who had robbed the country of multiple valuable possessions who had remained nearly untouchable by any sort of police force or detective agency. Known for his lack of violence and favor of committing crime undetected, the thief had garnered quite a reputation. There were very few things known about this thief, according to the very few witnesses: he was a male of short stature who seemed to be working with some sort of group, and that he only struck during the night. Though not predisposed to violence, he would not be against using any necessary means to escape a tricky situation. However, this was uncommon since the thief used his small frame and agile reflexes to escape nearly any situation.

The thief’s motive was unknown, and Shuichi was finding this hard to pinpoint due to the variety of objects stolen and locations from which they were stolen from. Without any discernible pattern, the thief would go from stealing jewels to paintings, and from stealing from nearby cities to opposite corners of the prefecture.The only noticeable pattern was that the thief never stole from the same area twice, meaning he never returned to an area in which he pulled off a previous heist. Where the thief and his associated group found shelter was also unknown, since the group seemed to move around quite a bit. 

Shuichi sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling. There were just so many parts of this case that made absolutely no sense, and the lack of consistency between heists was driving him mad. Collecting his thoughts, the detective composed himself and directed his gazed upon his desk once again. Just as he was about to reach for a new stack of files a realization hit him: the thief had never struck in the city that Shuichi lived in. Adding more to this, the thief had also been on a streak of hopping around to different cities in different areas, and this had seemed to be the only area he hadn’t touched yet, meaning it was a prime target for the next heist. More specifically, the museum down the street from Shuichi’s place of work seemed to be a perfect place for the next robbery to occur. Making a mental note of this and being filled with a newfound determination, Shuichi delved into the new stack of files that was waiting for him on his desk.


	2. Panic! At The Museum ft. the Phantom Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> as the title says, this chapter is where the first encounter occurs (yes there will obviously be more). get ready for a gay chase scene. its very brief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapters? in one day? its more likely than you think. also its 4:04 am yeee

2 am.

Shuichi glanced at the clock anxiously, trying not to fall asleep. Armed with the knowledge that the legendary phantom thief could strike in his area any night, he could hardly sleep. He had gotten himself into quite an unusual routine: he would stay up into the darkest hours of the night, sleep for a few hours and then go to work, return home, pass out, wake up and then stay up late all over again. Basically, his sleep schedule was a mess. However, if it meant finally being able to capture the phantom thief then it would be worth it. The lack of evidence left the detective with no other option than to attempt and catch the thief in persion.

Almost as if on cue, the phone rang in Shuichi’s quiet apartment. Jolting out of his half-asleep state he immediately grabbed his cell phone and answered it. 

“Hello?”

“Detective Saihara? It’s me. We received a phone call about a suspicious group moving around in the area of the museum and we have reason to suspect it might be the phantom thief. If you could get here as soon as possible-”

“I’m on my way.” he abruptly hung up the phone and jumped out of his bed, already prepared to head out as he had been waiting for a call like this. He was out the door and into his car as quickly as he had left the apartment.

\-------------

Dozens of cop cars surrounded the museum. There were policemen everywhere; The place was virtually surrounded. All desire for sleep had disappeared from Shuichi’s body, as the current situation had him alert and a bit on edge. He had never been this close to catching the thief before, and the fact that he could be in the very building he was standing in front of was incredibly overwhelming. The mystery that hundreds of detectives across the country couldn’t figure out, the thief who hundreds of police forces couldn’t hunt down… was right in front of his eyes. 

“Ah, Detective Saihara, there you are. Sorry for calling you in at this hour. Did you at least get some sleep?” Shuichi was greeted by the familiar voice of his uncle. This was no strange occurrence, as he did work for his uncle’s agency. If it weren’t for his uncle he might not have ever begun his detective work in the first place.

“Yes, a little bit,” Shuichi lied, not wanting his uncle to know of his bad sleeping habits, “What’s the situation?”

“The police received a call about a suspicious figure entering the museum about 10 minutes ago. Remembering your idea the other day that the phantom thief might be striking in this area, I alerted the rest of the agency and informed the police of your findings, telling them to make it to the area as soon as possible. Thanks to you, we may be one step closer to finally unveiling the identity of the phantom thief!” He smiled, placing a firm hand on his nephew’s shoulder.

“Oh, um… We haven’t caught him yet so I don’t want you to get your hopes up or anything…” Shuichi shyly replied, “What do you suggest I do?”

“Investigate the area by the back entrance. That’s where the strange figure was seen entering the building. I’ll stay here and watch this entrance. There should be policemen over there too in case you need anything.”

“Alright. Call me if you see anything suspicious.” He gave his uncle a nod and headed towards the back entrance of the museum.

The peace and quiet of the night had been interrupted by the sound of police sirens blaring and dozens of men discussing their thoughts on the situation at hand. As Shuichi made his way towards the back of the museum he noticed something in the window. It was a flicker of black light, far too quick to be a silhouette. Had it not been so brief he may have paid more attention to it, but for now he ignored it and focused on getting to his destination. 

Once he arrived at the back entrance of the museum he noticed something suspicious: there was no method of transport used by the thief to be found. Both on his way here and during the time he spent outside the museum he had not seen a single vehicle other than a police car or a car of one of his colleagues. What he also noticed was that there was no visible sign of forced entry into the building from either end. Similar to his investigations at the other crime scenes, there was a substantial lack of any other evidence. At least, there was no evidence outside of the building…

Hesitantly, Shuichi gathered up the courage to make the decision to enter the museum and informed the surrounding officers of his plan. Once inside the building he noticed that it was eerily quiet, making it seemingly impossible for anyone else to be inside the building. The museum consisted of three stories and was incredibly vast. Exploring this whole place by himself would not be easy at all. However, knowing that the most expensive exhibit would more likely than not be where the thief was headed, Shuichi headed to the museum’s display of rare jewels. 

Shuichi cautiously opened the door to the jewel room, being extra careful as to not make any noise that would alert the thief. He tiptoed into the dark room, opting not to use his flashlight yet as it would alert any intruder in the room. Slowly but steadily, Shuichi felt his way a few steps into the room, praying that he was alone. Adrenaline seared through his veins at the thought of the legendary phantom thief being in the very same room as him. Carefully, with trembling hands, Shuichi felt his way to the lightswitch and, though he hesitated at first, he switched it on. He could feel his head buzzing, his hands shaking, his legs trembling- he _was_ to come face to face with the legendary thief after all. 

Darting his head back and forth, Shuichi had expected to see the suspicious figure spotted earlier mid-heist. Instead, he was faced with an empty room as a dumbfounded expression was plastered on his face. He had been so sure that the thief would be in here, yet the current sight was nothing less than ideal. Although he had wished that he was alone in this room out of fear, he didn’t _actually_ want to be alone. He was hoping to come face to face with the thief but instead he was met with the cool air of the jewel room surrounding him in chilling silence. Worst of all, the thief would be alerted of Shuichi’s presence upon seeing the jewel room having the light turned on. 

The thief would likely take either of two courses of action: One, hide until Shuichi was gone, or two, attack Shuichi and do who knows what to him. Given that the suspect was a phantom thief, he would most likely choose to wait the situation out. But with the building completely surrounded, waiting was not necessarily an option. Wanting to avoid trapping himself in a waiting game with a famous criminal, Shuichi shut off the light and made his way to the exit of the jewel room. Just as he was about to turn the corner, Shuichi heard a voice that made him stop in his tracks.

“I told you already, there’s nothing to worry about! By the time those stupid policemen get in here we’ll be on out way out already!”

 _That voice… could it be?_

“Besides, we could tooootally take them if we had to so no worries!” the voice reassured.

_It could just be some other random thief, right?_

“Of course I didn’t forget!... Yeah!... Kay, byeeeee!”

Heart racing, Shuichi turned the corner to face the thief. What he saw before him was a petite male- roughly 5 feet tall- with unkempt dark purple hair and eyes of the same color. The rest of his face was obscured by a mask, thus rendering the rest of his features unreadable.

“Oh! Why _helloooo_ there!” the mysterious child-like voice bellowed.

_Huh? Why is he greeting me? Shouldn’t he be-_

“Oh no! The mysterious thief just said hi to me! What _ever_ could he want from me!” The thief feigned dramatically. Shuichi simply gawked at the masked figure. 

He continued impishly, “You’re probably wondering who I am right? Is it _the_ legendary phantom thief? The one who has pulled off dozens of successful risky heists? Neeheehee, you’d be right to think that, because it is me! Ahahaha!” he snarked with a childish evil laugh.

“So it really is you…” Shuichi remarked in awe.

Abruptly, the voice beamed “Yeah yeah, well if you’ll excuse me I’ve got somewhere to be sooooo bye!”

The thief turned and ran away from the jewel room, much to Shuichi’s surprise.

_Where is he going? Did he steal something already and I didn’t notice? No, that would be impossible, I was just in that room…_

“W-wait!” Shuichi exclaimed before giving chase to the thief currently sprinting away from him, and _damn was he fast._

“Neeheehee! Catch me if you can Mr. Detective!” the thief retorted.

Shuichi was determined not to give up. He had never been this close to catching the legendary phantom thief and he was not going to give up now. Knees trembling, he ran as fast as he could until he could catch what was so close yet so far. Little did he know, this chase would be more complicated than he thought.


	3. Why the Hell Am I Conversing With a Criminal? -Shuichi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chase scene and then the gay. they have a nice lil chat at like 3 am then kokichi zooms off whooosh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this in one sitting so please point out my mistakes. feedback of any kind is greatly appreciated!

Bright stars littered the sky above the quiet city, illuminating the dark and desolate streets. The city was all but alive except for in one place, where dozens of cop cars swarmed in search for the famous phantom thief. The legendary criminal had never been so closely within their grasp, and what seemed like the beginning of the end was about to commence. The end referring to the end of numerous heists spanning across the prefecture, that is. 

Within the narrow confines of the museum halls were two prominent individuals in this case: the illustrious detective Shuichi Saihara and the infamous yet anonymous thief. Short but quick footsteps darted across the museum halls, running through hall after hall, turning corner through corner, and navigating through room after room. With the young detective hot on his trail, the thief’s swift movements became increasingly confusing and hard to follow- the museum was pretty big, after all. However, all movement ceased when the thief found himself faced with a dead end, leaving him with no option but to turn and face the incoming detective.

Deftly turning himself around to face the detective, he couldn't help the smug look that crept onto his face. 

“Oh no! Looks like the detective has got me cornered! What _ever_ could happen to me now!” he jabbed sarcastically.

Shuichi halted to a stop, breathing heavily and placing his hands on his knees. “Is it true? Are you… really the phantom thief?” he managed to say between breaths. He lifted his head up to get a better look at the thief, however there were no defining features to be spotted as the mysterious figure had disguised their features by donning a childlike clown mask. Maybe this was a clue to what organization the thief belonged to…

“That’s right! It’s me, the legendary phantom thief that’s been all over the news! Pretty cool, right?” the thief boasted, looking up at Shuichi excitedly, “You know, no one has ever come this close to catching me before. I’m impressed! I think you’re my _favorite_ detective so far!”

Stabilizing his shaking legs and calming his nerves, Shuichi cleared his throat and responded to the stranger’s remarks. “Why didn’t you steal anything?” he stated confidently.

The thief’s motions became still, almost as if he was being held in place by some outside force.  
“...Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I checked the jewel room and nothing seemed to be missing. Did I happen to stop you before you could take anything?” Shuichi concluded out loud.

“Tch! Puh-lease! You underestimate me, my dear detective! Maybe you aren’t so smart after all!” Shuichi cocked an eyebrow, wondering to himself what he had missed. Perhaps something was stolen after all? No, it couldn’t be. That was because…

“You’re not carrying anything.” Shuichi stated firmly. Unbeknownst to Shuichi, the thief smirked under his mask, straightening himself.

“Oh, how naive…” the stranger condescended, “Did you really think I do such clumsy work? I am famous after all.”

Shuichi had had enough; He ignored the thief’s comments and made his way toward the mysterious figure, intending to back him up against the wall and interrogate him. However, he stopped mid-step when he was interrupted by a childish and sneering voice:

“Ahaha! I’d be careful if I was you! One wrong move and my subordinates will take you out!”

Shuichi said nothing, rather he simply gawked at the thief in confusion. How could he…

“Did you _realllly_ think I came here just by coincidence? In this very spot? Well, fine. If i _must_ explain _everything_ to you…” the thief emphatically stated, enunciating his taunting words clearly, “See this window right here? This is my escape route. You can chase after me or call for backup all you want, but there’s no changing the fact that I’m about to escape through this window. By the way, I’m not alone. If you don’t want to get shot I’d stay just where you are, Mr. Detective.” the thief smirked.

Shuichi gulped, peering out the window ahead. Indeed, he could see the faded outlines of more mysterious figures with suspicious masks in the distance, no doubt a part of the group that this thief belonged to. How come he hadn’t seen these mysterious people when he was outside before? Did they just arrive? How did they-

His thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched beeping sound being emitted from somewhere on the thief’s body.

“Well! That’s my cue! Now if you’ll excuse me!” he turned around dramatically with a flourish, making his way towards the window. Just as he was about to grab onto the windowsill and climb out, he felt someone grab his left arm with a firm grip, holding him in place.

Shuichi didn't know what had gotten into him. The threats of the infamous criminal completely tossed aside, he felt his body moving on its own as adrenaline coursed through his veins and he rushed after the small figure. He felt his fingers lock onto the slender arm of the thief, and all previous nervousness and anxiety had left his body. He stared at the plum colored hair inches away from his face. Were it not for their height difference, they certainly would’ve crashed faces into each other. 

The thief didn’t dare turn around. The detective was so close to him that he could easily rip off his mask if he wanted to.

“Who are you?” The question permeated the stiff and silent air that had formed between the two.  
There was no response. Just as before, the thief stood motionless, as if frozen, without uttering a single word.

“Umm… What is your name?” Shuichi restated nervously. He wondered what the expression of the smaller boy looked like behind that mask…

_Wait… what am I thinking?_

The energetic demeanour of the stranger had instantly returned, similar to what putting on a mask of false happiness, “What is _my_ name? How rude of you to ask without even telling me _your_ name first!”

“O-oh, um… Shuichi Saihara. And your name?”

The thief could feel Shuichi’s breath against his ear, the detective having bent down slightly in order to make himself more clearly heard. There was a brief moment of silence that passed between the two.

“Well, I can’t tell you much because of the whole phantom thief thing but…” he lamented, sounding almost sorry for himself, “Kokichi is the name. And don’t you forget it.” With that, he freed himself from Shuichi’s grasp and glided up to the window, too quick for him to even register. Before jumping off the windowsill he turned to the detective and spoke a few words.

“Farewell, my beloved detective. May we cross paths once again!” he beamed before jumping off the windowsill.

“W-wait!” Shuichi yelled, uncertain whether Kokichi was jumping to his death or to safety. However, when he peered out the window he saw nothing but the buzzing of police cars and other detectives on the scene. The thief was gone; he had slipped right out of the detective’s grasp before he could even fully wrap his head around what was going on.

And just like that, the action-packed scene that had just unfolded had transformed into a lone detective standing silently in the hall of the empty museum. There were so many questions running through his head, but they would have to wait. For now, he had to get back to his uncle and the other’s and report to them what he just saw. Collecting his bearings, Shuichi swiftly made his way back to the exit of the museum.

\----------

“You _what?”_

“Yeah, I know… I’m sorry, I don't know what i was thinking.”

“That could've been dangerous, kid! What got into you! Going into the museum by yourself when a known criminal could be in there? What were you thinking?” Shuichi’s uncle exclaimed, drowning with worry for his nephew.

“I don't know… It was stupid and i shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.” Shuichi replied. His uncle had been chewing him out for the past ten minutes about attempting such a dangerous feat. What he had yet to tell his uncle was that he had actually encountered the thief and even _conversed_ with him. For now, he decided to keep that to himself until he decided what to make of it. He did, however, tell his uncle about his visit to and inspection of the jewel room.

“Well I’m just glad you're safe. You have no idea what could've happened to you back there. Trust me on that, your uncle’s had some pretty crazy adventures back in the day.” he placed his hand on Shuichi’s shoulder, smiling at him. “What did you find while you were in there?”

“Well,” Shuichi mused, “I didn’t find anything that seemed to be out of place, but I was only there for a moment. I left about as quickly as I came since I didn’t want to run into the thief.”

His uncle sighed, “Just promise me you’ll never do anything like that ever again. I can’t afford to lose you, you know?”

Shuichi gave his uncle an understanding nod and hardened his resolve. He didn't want to put his uncle through any unnecessary stress- this case had already been stressing out the both of them quite enough. By now, a few hours had passed, and a faint amount of brightness had begun to enter the sky. 

Shuichi made his way back to his car, deciding to make this whole ordeal a problem for the next day at work. He turned back to the museum, glancing at where he saw that mysterious shadow earlier when he first arrived.

 _Could that have been?... No… There’s no way…_

Shuichi sighed to himself, thinking about the events that had just transpired. The thief, his abrupt escape… everything about it just seemed to abnormal. With a huff, he stepped into his car and began his drive home. He would need a lot of coffee tomorrow in order to make up for his lack of sleep tonight.


	4. Two Clichés In One Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they bump into each other and spill coffee on one another and then the whole *gets into taxi* "FOLLOW THAT CAR" thing happens. yay for clichés!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im not really happy with this so im sorry but im trying my best aksjsjakaka i just want my boys to be happy

A few months had passed since the museum incident had taken place. Shuichi lay on his bed staring at his ceiling, replaying the incident over and over in his head. Ever since then, the phantom thief had remained as elusive as ever, jumping from city to city in pursuit of new items to burglarize. Shuichi cursed himself for having come so close to catching the thief yet having made so little progress. Sure, he got a last name out of the guy, but that easily could have been a lie.

_What good would that be? Even if I told that to my uncle he would probably dismiss it as false information, or worse, berate me for having failed at catching the thief. What good would it do to tell him?_

Shuichi clasped his hands on top of his head and let out a heavy sigh. He had been outsmarted by the country’s most infamous criminal, and didn’t even obtain any useful information from the experience. He felt even farther from uncovering the truth of this case than he had been before the incident. Pushing these thoughts aside, Shuichi closed his eyes and tried to get some shuteye before work tomorrow. Little did he know, the thief had been equally if not more enthralled by the encounter.

\-----------

Kokichi found himself wanting to know more and more about the strange detective that he had met that night. Although his own face was covered by the mask, he could see perfectly into the mercury eyes of the handsome stranger. No one had ever confronted him like that before, as a phantom thief is known for their stealth and trickery. There was something about the detective that was simply captivating, leaving Kokichi enraptured by and consumed with thoughts of this man.

It really wasn’t hard for Kokichi to identify the detective agency to which Shuichi belonged, as there was only one local agency in the vicinity of the museum. With this information, obtained for him by his subordinates, he planned on taking the next course of action in his scheme to encounter the detective once more: strike in the city again. However, there were a number of preliminary steps that had to be taken first, for this plan was not as simple as it seems. 

Normally, the main concern of a thief who had his name discovered by a detective would be whether or not the detective would uncover their identity and have them put behind bars. Kokichi on the other hand was looking forward to the chase that would occur between the two. Finally having met a detective who could possibly keep up with Kokichi’s antics, he was eager to worm his way into his life and give him and his detective skills a run for their money. The two would skate around each other’s lives, Kokichi using his trickery and deception to come and go in the detective's life as he pleases, which Shuichi would desperately try to chase after the thief. It was a game to be played between the two, a game that Kokichi knew better than anyone else, a game that Kokichi would _win_. If by win, you mean intentionally get caught, that is.

The organization that the thief belonged to, D.I.C.E., had no specific headquarters, rather the small group of pranksters travelled from place to place utilizing abandoned buildings for shelter. After making a few pit stops for some heists in a few nearby cities, Kokichi once again placed himself and his organization in the same locality as the detective whom he had met months ago. In order to gain the advantage in this game they were going to play with each other, Kokichi needed as much information as possible about his adversary. Thus, him and the rest of D.I.C.E. were to stay in the city and gather as much information about the detective agency as possible.

While it was true that Kokicihi was in love with the idea of being chased after by a brilliant and mysterious detective, that did not necessarily mean that he wanted to be caught. Being arrested and thrown in jail was not a pleasant thought, after all. Ideally, Kokichi would cross paths with the detective every now and then, enjoying the thrill of being hunted yet evading being caught at the last second. It was a strange game that the thief had wanted to play, but make no mistake: if Kokichi wanted something, or _someone,_ he was going to get it one way or another.

\----------

Shuichi’s daily commute was simple: due to his tendency to oversleep and the lack of parking spaces at his agency, he would park a few blocks down and then walk over to the agency. He was quite fond of this aspect of his commute, for the walk gave him time to himself to relax and ponder the various thoughts in his head before tackling on the stress of work. The sights that he saw along the way were familiar and comforting: the coffee shop, which he would frequent every now and then, the bookstore, and the convenience store. Passing by these places every day had hardwired a routine into Shuichi’s brain, meaning that he walked while paying little attention to his surroundings since he was so used to them. Normally, this was not an issue, until…

 _Thump!_  
Shuichi was immediately shaken out of his daze when he bumped into a stranger walking the opposite direction on the sidewalk. This in itself wasn’t such a problem; the problem lay in how Shuichi’s coffee spilled all over the stranger, staining his clean white shirt. 

“Sorry! I usually don’t space out this much when I’m walking!” Shuichi apologized profusely, “Here, let me help you.” He began pulling tissues and napkins out of his pocket, alone with anything he really could use to help the stranger. 

“Don’t worry about it!” the stranger flashed him a toothy grin, almost as if he was _glad_ that this happened.

The two made eye contact for a second as the stranger went to grab the napkins and such being extended to him. “...Have we met before?” Shuichi wondered aloud.

The strange man he had bumped into seemed so familiar, and Shuichi just couldn’t pin down _why_. The man was of short stature, and had dark purple hair and eyes. He looked young; he couldn’t be older than his early 20s. Shuichi was certain that he had never met this man before, but something about him just seemed so familiar, so unsettling that Shuichi just _couldn’t_ ignore. 

“Have we? Wow, what are the odds! Bumping into someone and getting coffee spilled on you by a stranger, only to find out that stranger isn’t a stranger! Sounds like something straight out of a romance novel!” the stranger beamed, “Well, what’s your name?”

“Shuichi Saihara.” he replied, still a bit uneasy and, well, _embarrassed._

“Hmm… nope! Never heard it before! Guess we don’t know each other, huh?” the stranger chattered while drying the coffee stains off of his shirt. 

“Maybe… but you seem so familiar to me and I can’t seem to figure out why. What’s your name?” Shuichi inquired.

“My name? Neeheehee, I guess you could say that’s a secret. Besides, you probably know my name already, riiiight?” the man teased. 

“Huh? How would I know your-”

“Welp, it’s been nice meeting ya but I’ve gotta go now so byeeee!” he said as a silver car pulled up not too far from the two. “See ya later, Mr. Detective!”

“Wait, what do you mean ‘see you later’?” Shuichi asked, “And how did you know I was a…?” he trailed off, realizing he was speaking to no one as the car began driving off rather quickly into the street.

_Wait._

_“If you don’t want to get shot I’d stay just where you are, Mr. Detective.”_

_“Farewell, my beloved detective. May we cross paths once again!”_

_…_

_Oh shit._

Shuichi gulped.

_There’s no way it could be true. There’s just no way…_

_But it was true._

“Wait!” he called out. But is was too late.

_Shit… I have to chase after him… Fast._

Luckily there was a taxi nearby that was dropping off a woman at the coffee shop. Shuichi hurriedly ran over to the taxi and jumped in. He took a deep breath, pointing to the silver car, and said:

“Follow that car... Uh, sir.”


	5. Underwhelming Chase Scene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shuichi vroom vrooms after kokichi in the taxi but fails. but dont worry, he has another plan to catch the phantom thief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter owo
> 
> also i cant stop putting owo and uwu at the end of everything help uwu

The taxi swerved to and fro through the oncoming traffic, narrowly avoiding pedestrians and a dangerous car accident. The sense of urgency that Shuichi carried about him spurred the taxi driver to drive with utmost speed, forgoing all sense of caution. The silver car that the thief had gotten into was barely in view, but nonetheless it was still there. Shuichi was on the edge of his seat, peering out the window with his eyes fixated on the car in pursuit. He could feel his heart nearly beating out of his chest as he tightly gripped the edge of his seat.

It was paradoxical; the thief was so close yet so far. He kept replaying the scene in his mind over and over again, etching the appearance of the thief into his brain. Dark purple and messy locks of hair surrounded his face, and eyes matching in color adored his subtle features. He was of short stature and had a pale, almost sickly complexion, accompanied by a slender and fragile looking body that looks as if it would break if handled too roughly. From the cheeky grin on his face and the nonchalant was he carried himself throughout the whole situation, Shuichi could only wonder if the whole thing had truly been a coincidence or not.

\------------

“Man, you should’ve seen the look on his face! He was toooootally clueless!” Kokichi bragged to the others accompanying him the the getaway car. “And as soon as I left he was like _’Oh shit!’_ How adorable!”

The thief sat in the passenger seat of the car, and next to him sat a tall and muscular man. He had an intimidating aura about him and spoke in a deep, gruff voice. “They’re still tailin’ us boss, whaddya suggest we do?”

“Oh, I know! I know!” a woman’s voice excitedly spoke up, “Why don’t we just ditch the car and hide till we’re in the clear?”

“That’s too risky.” another voice countered, “They might see us.”

“So what?” the first voice piped up, “As long as we get away in time then it doesn’t matter, right?”

“But that still leaves the car, idiot!” the other voice replied. Kokichi smiled to himself at their bickering.

“Just keep driving. I have a feeling we’ll lose them soon.” he concluded aloud. “If not, that just makes things even more interesting!”

\------------

One underwhelming chase scene later, Shuichi found himself apologizing profusely to the taxi driver for making him carry out such a strange request. Especially since the chase was a failure. After coming to a dead end with the thief’s car nowhere in sight, Shuichi gave the driver the simple request of driving him back to his apartment. The urgency with which he previously carried himself with had now disappeared, and he slumped back in his seat disappointed in himself for not realizing that he was speaking to the thief sooner. Although he didn’t really want to give up after coming all this way, he had no choice. The thief was gone yet again.

He gazed out the window, racking his brain for just what he could’ve done better. Maybe if he had realized who the thief was when he was talking to him he could’ve prevented this whole chase from ever happening in the first place. However, the news that the phantom thief was in the area was a bit reassuring to him, as it meant for the next few days the thief could not travel far. Thus, he had a definite radius of where the thief could be at any given minute. And each minute that passed by only increased that radius, setting the thief’s distance potentially farther from the detective.

Once he arrived at his apartment, Shuichi immediately got to work at attempting to triangulate the location of the phantom thief. He could only move so far during the next 24 hours, and there was a chance that he may perform another heist in the area yet again. However, there was only one problem with this: the thief had never before struck in the same exact area twice. Taking this into account, Shuichi began researching places in nearby neighborhoods in order to determine where the thief would strike next. Although he wasn't able to catch the thief today, Shuichi swore to himself that he _would_ meet this thief again no matter what.

It would have been convenient if there were to be a nearby museum or bank of high value that the thief may attempt a heist at, but there was none. This would’ve made is much easier to determine the next location that the thief would strike at, but nonetheless this was not true. Unless, that is, Shuichi _made_ one place stand out in particular. 

This would be accomplished via a plan that he had been waiting so long to put into effect. Honestly, Shuichi didn’t even believe that a time would come where one of his hypothetical plans had to be put into action. But despite that low possibility, here he was, implementing one of the plans that he had conceived out of mere speculation. 

The main goal of the plan was to create the ideal conditions for a heist in order to entice the phantom thief into appearing. It was a risky plan, but if it meant another chance of finally capturing the phantom thief then Shuichi decided it would be well worth the price. The location of interest in this particular plan was the art exhibit a neighborhood over from the museum at which the thief previously struck. Ideally, the exhibit would be unveiling a priceless painting, and the thief would be lured into the exhibit due to its high value. However, making this happen on such short notice would be nearly impossible. A different strategy would need to be implemented.

The newer strategy was a bit of a gamble, but if it worked it was guaranteed to be a huge success. Rather than setting up a scene in which a heist would be easy to pull over, the opposite would be done: The exhibit would have beefed up security for one night, making it virtually impossible for anyone to get in without permission. The extra challenge of added security would make it challenging for the phantom thief to pull off a heist, but who didn’t like a challenge. Based off of their previous interactions and heists, the thief seemed to be the type that would pull off a heist at a highly secured location just for the sake of the challenge. And Shuichi was ready to execute this plan as a challenge of his own.

Little did he know, the thief was well aware that the detective had been scheming some sort of plan like this.


	6. SHUICHI HAS A GUN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SHuichi and kokichi have another encounter and kinda kiss and stuff akshasjd also shuichi has a fuckin pistol hell yeah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried to work on the pacing a bit for this one so i hope this chapter was less shitty than the other ones!

Ever since they had first crossed paths, Kokichi could not stop thinking about the dashingly handsome man. The way he carried himself and his detective duties with such conviction stood in stark contrast to his mannerisms that night. He was apprehensive and timid, flustered at the situation he had found himself in. Kokichi found this aspect of him to be rather cute, and this side of him made the more confident side of him even more compelling and mysterious. The more that he found himself face to face with this detective, the more he found himself craving more and more interaction with him.

The fellow members of Kokichi’s organization had figured out this as well. His behavior around them regarding their crimes had changed; He had become so transfixed on meeting the detective again that all previous patterns they abided by had vanished. The thief also seemed to have a slightly different energy being carried about him: he would often hum to himself when bored, he would often be lost in thought, staring into nowhere, and he approached future acts of stealing with a bit more enthusiasm before. There was no doubt that the adrenaline filled encounters with the detective had implanted these feelings in him. 

Upon hearing of the extra security around the exhibit through the news, Kokichi made the daring decision to raid the place just for the sake of humoring Shuichi, since he knew that he was the one behind this. He knew that the detective would have some sort of trick up his sleeve once he realized that the phantom thief was in the area, and there was no doubt that this was it. A flurry of emotions permeated his mind as he anticipated his next encounter with the beloved detective that had enraptured him so.

\------------

Mist blew through the air, breezing past the faces of pedestrians as they made their way through the street. Shuichi was amongst the group of people hurriedly making their way across the sidewalk, the hustle and bustle of the city never dying down at this hour. A soft breeze trickled through the air, signaling the incoming rain. Shuichi held his umbrella high above his head and moved with swift yet cautious steps, being careful not to step in any puddles. 

Walking along this street only reminded him of the previous encounter he had with the phantom thief. As he walked, he couldn’t help but have his thoughts become imbued with a sense of anxiousness. He was certain that the thief may strike soon, in the nearby area nonetheless. His plan had to work, or else the thief may be out of his grasp for who knows how long. Shuichi began contemplating his next steps; Once he found himself face to face with the thief once again, what would he do? He was only a detective, not a police officer, so brute force was not necessarily his forte. It was true that he had permission to carry a gun on him, but Shuichi typically opted not to do this, as he was not one to be predisposed to violence. There would have to be some other way… but what other option was there?

Shuichi’s stomach lightly grumbled, startling Shuichi out of his thoughts. He had neglected eating lunch that day in favor for conducting further investigation on other cases, as all this time focusing on the phantom thief had distracted him from other cases. Eventually, he arrived at the apartment complex which he resided in and made his way up to his apartment. His keys jingled as he removed them from his pocket and unlocked the door. Once inside, he made himself a bowl of noodles and then plopped himself onto the couch, turning on the TV. 

Seconds, minutes, hours passed until the darkness of nightfall had descended upon him. Shuichi glanced at the clock, catching the time as being nearly 11 pm. Instead of going to bed as he normally would around this time, Shuichi decided to drive over to the art exhibit at which he expected to find the phantom thief at. The gallery would be closed at this time, but he could use his position as a world famous detective and his association with his uncle’s renowned agency as an excuse to enter the building anyway. 

Right as Shuichi was about to exit the door, he took a quick look at his nightstand and stopped. He made quick steps over to the drawer, opening it and removing the small pistol he kept hidden inside of it. He placed it inside his coat and exited the apartment.

\--------------

Once Shuichi arrived at the art gallery, things went exactly as he had planned: he had flashed his detective badge at the security guards and explained his intentions for entering the building, and then proceeded to make his way into the art gallery. By now, it was approximately midnight, a bit early for the thief to strike. Shuichi spent about an hour or so pacing back and forth between the different exhibits, even taking some time to admire the art himself as he studied the position of different exhibits in order to detect any changes later. There were a variety of exhibits, ranging from paintings to sculptures to pieces of abstract art. Amongst all the pieces of artwork there was one specific area which housed the most expensive paintings and sculptures, the prime target for the thief. He made sure to keep an eye on this area.

Shuichi sighed to himself, bored finally creeping up upon him after remaining here for so long without any sign of the thief. That was, until he heard the sound of soft footsteps around the corner. As he listened, the footsteps grew softer and softer. It appeared that whoever was walking was going away from the exhibit of expensive artwork.

_It could just be another security guard… Maybe I should check just in case._

As slowly and silently as he could, Shuichi peered around the corner, only to see no one there. He kept walking until he was at the end of the hall and turned yet another corner, finding himself in a room of small sculptures. There was no one there either. Shuichi could’ve swore he heard someone walking, so he decided to stay in this room a little while longer in case anything strange happened.

\------------

With the help of his fellow organization members, Kokichi slipped in through a window to the art exhibit completely unseen by any of the security guards. He cautiously stepped into the room presented before him, which was indistinguishable from any other the other rooms of the exhibit at first glance. With a bit of maneuvering through the exhibit without being seen, he managed to make his way to the part of the exhibit with the least amount of security. Once he found himself alone, he hauled off with an expensive painting and handed it to his henchmen.

Kokichi sighed out of relief, knowing that the least exciting part of this was now over. Now, he could explore the exhibit to his heart’s content in hopes of encountering the detective once more. If he timed it perfectly, he could even escape before the detective realized he stole anything! Kokichi smiled to himself and swiftly turned around, prepared to navigate his way through the rest of the art gallery. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was to be met with a mercury pair of eyes across the myriad of sculptures and paintings filling the space between them.

“Stop right there!” Shuichi exclaimed, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Kokichi froze in place, genuinely surprised that the detective managed to find him first. This has never happened before; he had never been caught off guard in such a way during one of his heists, and he was thankful that it was Shuichi rather than a security guard. He was grateful that he had his mask on so that the other man couldn’t see the surprised expression and beads of sweat forming on his face.

“Wow, what a surprise! I didn’t expect _you_ to be the one to find me first!” Kokichi gushed, “I guess you win this one, Mr. Detective! But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna turn myself in as your reward!”

“Reward? What are you…?” Shuichi interjected.

 _Is this some sort of game to him? Was he expecting me to be here?_

“Well obviously I was hoping to find you first! You should be proud of yourself, _Shuichi,”_ the thief boasted, “Bet you thought I forgot your name didn’t you!”

Shuichi was at a loss for words. Why was the thief looking for him? Shouldn't it be the other way around? And how did he know that Shuichi was the one behind this? Shuichi was pulled out of his thoughts by the teasing voice of the thief before him. 

“Man, I was hoping you’d be more excited…” the thief said disappointedly, looking at his fingernails with a bored expression on his face. Although Shuichi couldn’t see that expression obviously, because of his mask. “Even after I came all that way to-”  
In an instant, Shuichi walked up to him and ripped the mask off his face, revealing his pale complexion and purple locks.

“I knew it was you!” Shuichi shouted, “That was you the other day, wasn’t it?”

Once again, Kokichi had been taken off guard. He didn’t expect the detective to be so _bold,_ especially with how timid he was a few seconds ago. He took a few steps back, a bit flustered at the closeness between them. 

“Duh! That’s why you set this whole ‘extra security’ thing up, isn’t it? Neheehee, you fell right into my trap!” He gloated cheekily.

“Your trap? So you _did_ know I was gonna be here…” Shuichi calmly stated, resting his hand on his chin. Rather than freaking out, he decided that it would be better to observe the situation and make deductions about the situation. “But why? What’s the point of coming here if you knew I was gonna be here?” he asked.

Kokichi’s face went blank, and he took a few steps closer to Shuichi, closing the gap in between them. He looked up at the taller boy as an imperceptibly small grin formed on his face.

“What if I said… I _wanted_ you to catch me?” the thief said in a quiet, low voice.

“H-huh? Why would you…?” Shuichi wondered aloud.

A moment of silence passed between them. They stared into each other’s eyes and their breathing synced up with one another. Shuichi took a step back in order to reorient himself from the whole situation.

“You’re just trying to distract me, aren’t you?” Shuichi deduced.

This assumption led Shuichi to be met with yet another blank expression. For some reason, this one seemed a bit offended. Suddenly, a childlike smile adorned the thief’s features.

“Yup! You got me! I was just hoping to distract you so that you would forget about me being a thief and all!” he spoke gleefully.

“I thought so..” Shuichi mumbled to himself, although he sounded a bit… disappointed.

“So what’re you gonna do now? Have me arrested? You’re gonna turn me into the cops and get rid of me for good, right?” the thief smirked, “Or am I wrong?”

“No… you’re not wrong. I’m not letting you get away.” Shuichi asserted.

“Oh? Is that so? What is my precious little detective gonna do? Torture me?” 

“No!” he exclaimed, “I would never do that!”

Shuichi nervously fiddled with the pistol in his coat, trying to keep it concealed. He took a few steps forward, and for every step he took forward Kokichi took one step back until he was against the wall.

“Aww man…” Kokichi complained, “Well, if you’re not gonna do anything interesting then…” he reached for the window next to him, but then…

_Thump!_

Just as he was about to open the window, Shuichi had slammed his hand against the wall between Kokichi and the window, shocking the smaller boy. With Shuichi’s arm in the way, Kokichi’s access to the window had been cut off.

“I’m not letting you escape.” Shuichi asserted.

“Oho~ Looks like the detective has got me cornered! What’re you gonna do to me now?” Kokichi smirked. For a cornered criminal, he really did seem to be enjoying this.

“I already told you, I’m not gonna do anything!” Shuichi restated, exasperated.

“If you’re not gonna do anything then maybe _I_ will.”

Before Shuichi could register the feeling, Kokichi had lightly tugged on his shirt to pull him down, bringing him in for a kiss. Their lips lingered on each other for a few seconds before Shuichi abruptly pulled away, blushing like mad. He was rendered utterly speechless.

“Neeheehee! Now it was my turn to catch _you_ off guard, _Shuichi._ ”


	7. It Gets Even More Gay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some things are supposed to be italicized at the end but its not working so im sorry
> 
> update i fixed it heck yeeee

It was quiet.

The detective and the thief stood merely centimeters from each other, their breathing audible in the deafening silence. 

“H-hey! What was that for?” Shuichi exclaimed, embarrassed more than anything. His eyes were as wide as saucers and he stared at Kokichi in disbelief.

“Oh come on, don’t tell me you weren’t thinking about kissing me too! It’s written all over your face!” Kokichi gushed.

“No I was not!” Shuichi began, “You’re a criminal! I could never-”

“So are you saying you _don’t_ have feelings for me?” Kokichi interrupted, an impish smirk adorning his features. 

Shuichi paused, collecting his thoughts to himself. Love was definitely an overstatement at this point, but he couldn’t deny his curiosity for the boy standing in front of him. But he was a criminal! There was no way it could ever work!

Kokichi interjected Shuichi’s thoughts, “I know what you’re thinking. I’m a criminal, you’re a detective, it could never work. But isn’t that what makes this so _interesting?”_

_He isn’t wrong, but… That’s not the point! This is my chance to catch him!_

“I won’t let you do as you please anymore. I’m not gonna let you keep distracting me from what I need to do.” Shuichi retorted. 

“Oh? So what’re you gonna do, turn me in?” he smirked, “You would never do that, would you?”

_He’s right. As much as I hate to admit it, a part of me wants him to stay here with me longer. I can’t just turn him in. But I can’t just let him go, either… ___

__Shuichi reasoned, “Listen, just return whatever you stole and get out of here, okay?”_ _

__“No can do, Shuichi! My subordinates have already made their way out of here with the goods!” he spoke cheerfully. “Then again, that could also be a lie, neheehee!”_ _

__Shuichi placed a hand on his forehead and rubbed his temples. This whole interaction was beginning to give him a headache._ _

__“I’ve got a getaway car awaiting me soooooo are we done here?” Kokichi said, getting a bit impatient._ _

__“No…” Shuichi mumbled, “No! I’m not just letting you go! I don’t even know your name!”_ _

__Kokichi leaned in and pulled Shuichi down so that he could whisper in his ear._ _

__“Kokichi Ouma”_ _

__And in one swift motion, he was out the window before Shuichi could even realize he was gone._ _

__\---------------_ _

__Shuichi had returned to his apartment, still thinking about the events that had previously lapsed._ _

__First, he had run into the thief at the museum. Second, he had bumped into him on the street, spilling coffee on him. Lastly, and most recently, he had encountered him at the art exhibit. The scene was painted vividly in his mind: the closeness between the two, their bodies hovering intimately close to one another, the soft lips he made contact with during the kiss, and the beautiful violet eyes that made contact with his mercury orbs. No matter how hard he tried, Shuichi could just not get the night’s events out of his head._ _

__Shuichi paced back and forth throughout his apartment, reminiscing the night’s events. After the thief had exited the art gallery through the window, Shuichi had stood there in silence, wishing that the thief had not left. However, in a matter of seconds, three security guards came rushing in the room asking what all the commotion was about. Shuichi had lied and said he was making a phone call, apologized, and made his way out of the exhibit. Little did he know, his encounter with the thief that night was not quite over yet._ _

__The detective’s train of thought was interrupted by the sound of knuckles rapping against the window. He jolted and cautiously made his way over to the window, wondering who the hell would be outside the window on his third floor apartment. He opened the window and was greeted with the same face that had kissed him back at the art gallery._ _

“Why _helloooo_ there Shuichi! How are ya?” Kokichi said cheerfully. 

__“I- Kokichi? What are you doing here? And how did you know where I lived?!” Shuichi blurted._ _

__“I just followed you home, duh!” Kokichi began. Noticing the hopeful look in Shuichi’s eyes, he continued, “And no, it’s just me! The rest of my organization isn’t out here either. I came all by myself just for you Shuichi!”_ _

__He climbed through the window and made his way into the small, cramped apartment. Pieces of paper littered the floor near the desk where stacks of files lay. The apartment had a somewhat pleasant and comforting atmosphere despite its small size, making almost anyone feel at home._ _

__“Nice place you got here! It’s pretty small though, isn’t it?” Kokichi observed, “I would’ve expected more from Shuichi Saihara, the world renowned detective!”_ _

__“Yeah, well…” Shuichi countered, picking pieces of paper off the floor in a last-ditch effort to tidy up the place a little. “I am a college student. My parents don’t do much to support me financially so I’m all on my own.”_ _

__It was silent for a few seconds, the thick air feeling heavy between the two boys. Finally, Shuichi spoke up._ _

__“Umm… would you like some tea?” he asked, still a bit off-put by the sudden guest  
accompanying him._ _

__“Sure! Do you have oolong tea?” Kokichi replied excitedly, his eyes lighting up._ _

__“Yes…” Shuichi began brewing the tea while Kokichi explored his tiny apartment, almost as if he was searching for something specific. “So what brings you here again?”_ _

__“I dunno. Maybe I just missed my beloved detective!” he brought himself closer to Shuichi and hugged him on his side, clinging to him like a koala. Shuichi blushed at the sudden closeness._ _

__After the tea was done being prepared they sat on the couch together, watching TV. Kokichi rapidly flipped through all of the channels until he found something he liked, finally settling for a crime drama. Shuichi raised his eyebrows at the ironic choice of show but said nothing. The two sat in silence for a bit, sitting next to each other awkwardly._ _

__“So you’re a college student?” Kokichi spoke up, his eyes filled with wonder._ _

__“Ah, yes. I go to a local university with a few of my friends. I assume you aren’t a student…?” he answered._ _

__“Yup! I’m fully dedicated to my life of crime! I have no time for studying!” he gushed, proud of his chaotic lifestyle._ _

Shuichi sighed. He had temporarily forgotten about the whole ‘detective and criminal’ dynamic between them. Wondering why he had let a phantom thief into his apartment was the least of his worries. Currently, he was worried about he was actually _falling_ for the other boy. And the feeling was mutual. 

__“You’re thinking about it again, aren’t you?” Shuichi was jolted out of his thoughts yet again by the smaller boy. “How you’re a detective and I’m a criminal and stuff, right?”_ _

__“I mean, I can’t really help it…” Shuichi sighed, “I never expected to be in a situation like this.”_ _

__“Well don’t worry about that! I, Kokichi Ouma, have a solution for that! I am officially resigning from my life of crime in order to dedicate my life to you, Shuichi!” he announced proudly._ _

__“R-really?!” he simply gawked at the other boy._ _

__“Nope! That was a lie!” he giggled to himself, “I could never abandon my fellow organization members so easily!”_ _

__“So there is an organization that you work with,” Shuichi voiced his thoughts aloud, nodding to himself, “What’s the name of your organization?”_ _

__“Neheehee, I can’t just tell you that, silly! It’s top secret!” he gloated, the corners of his mouth stretched into a huge childlike smile._ _

__“Ah, I’m sure it is…” Shuichi rolled his eyes ever so subtly._ _

__“Guess you’ll have to interrogate me in order to find out!” Kokichi smiled._ _

__“N-no! I would never do that!” Shuichi defended, repeating himself from before._ _

__“Aww, man…” Kokichi looked down, disappointed. Once again, the pair fell into a comfortable silence. It felt more natural than it had before, the two sitting slightly closer together and enjoying each other’s presence. Eventually, the two nodded off, drifting into the depths of sleep._ _

__\----------_ _

_4 am._

__Shuichi rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock below the TV. He got up and made his way to the bed until he heard the sound of someone softly snoring. Ah, that’s right. He wasn’t alone. Careful not to disrupt him from his sleep, he picked up the smaller boy bridal style and gently placed him in bed. He then crawled into bed next to him, cozying himself under the covers. He tucked Kokichi until the covers as well._ _

__The two were facing each other, and Shuichi gazed at the smaller boy who was fast asleep._ _

_He looks so peaceful._

__He reached out and tucked the other boy’s soft locks behind his ear so that he could get a clearer look at his face. His features were relaxed and his face was expressionless, a deep contrast to the usual plethora of emotions that he displayed, real or not. Shuichi closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep as well. Slowly, he drifted off again, and enveloped himself in the warm embrace of slumber._ _


	8. Kaito and Maki Have Entered the Battle!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kaito and maki have appeared!! and fluff is upcoming yay!!!!

Shuichi awoke, rubbing the last bits of sleep out of his eyes. Sunlight was pouring through the window as his alarm clock had roused him from his sleep. He turned over in bed expecting to find Kokichi next to him, but there was no one. He looked around the apartment and spotted Kokichi by the window, just about to leave.

“Oh, you’re finally up! Couldn’t have had better timing though, I was just about to leave!” he practically shouted.

Shuichi sat up in his bed so he could get a better look at the other boy. “You’re leaving already?”

“Yep! I can’t have the members of my organization worrying about me now can I?” he smiled, much more awake than Shuichi was, “Oh, and by the way! Thanks for carrying me into bed last night! Can’t believe you thought my fake snoring was real!” He smirked.

Shuichi’s face blossomed red. He slapped himself mentally.

“See ya!” Kokichi departed out the window he had come in the night before. 

If Shuichi wasn’t awake before he definitely was now. He yawned and got himself out of bed and into the kitchen, grabbing something to eat before going to his morning class. It was one of the few days where instead of having work and then class, Shuichi only had to attend one class and then had the rest of the day to himself. 

He scratched his head, trying to remember what the hell had happened to him in the past twenty-four hours. Meeting the thief was the most he had bargained for, so to end up kissing him and sleeping in the same bed as him…. Well, saying Shuichi was surprised would be an understatement. Nonetheless, the day would leave Shuichi behind if he didn’t head out the door, so he got ready as quickly as he could and made his way to his university.

\-----------  
Shuichi arrived at the beautiful campus, making his way up the stairs and onto the sprawling landscape. He saw a figure waiting for him by the fountain in the distance, waving enthusiastically. As he got closer he saw that it was none other than his best friend Kaito Momota, who he also attended university with. 

“Yo, Shuichi! There you are!” he smiled, overflowing with energy.

Shuichi gave a soft smile, “Hey, Kaito. Are you ready to start walking?”

“If my sidekick is ready then I’m ready! Let’s go!” he decreed, walking in the direction of the history building.

“So what’s up?” How’s that big case you’re working on going?” Kaito asked.

“Oh, um, nothing new has really come up so everything’s about the same.” he lied.

“Damn, that’s tough. I gotta say, I don’t know how you manage to do all that detective stuff! I’m proud of you, bro!” he flashed a big grin in Shuichi’s direction.

Shuichi smiled back sheepishly at his friend and changed the topic, “So how’s everything with you and Maki?”

“Great! We’re going to see a movie after we finish class today. Hey! You should come with us if you want! It’ll be fun! We’re going to see that new action movie that just came out!” he offered.

Shuichi couldn’t help but feel the positivity radiating from Kaito. His best friend had a contagious energy about him, one that could make anyone cheer up and feel better instantly, no matter what they were going through. He really was grateful to have a friend like him. 

“Sure, sounds good. I’ll be there.” Shuichi answered, much more enthused now thanks to Kaito’s presence. 

Soon enough, they arrived at their lecture. Kaito and Shuichi sat next to each other in the vast seating area, sitting in their usual spots. 

\------------

“Man, that was sooo boring. I swear I almost fell asleep during it.” Kaito complained.

“You _did_ fall asleep, Kaito.” Shuichi chuckled. 

“Oi, Maki roll! There you are!” he shouted, flashing that trademark grin of his. Maki was approaching them from the opposite side, coming from the direction of the humanities building.

“Hey.” she said calmly, giving off the opposite energy as Kaito. “Are you ready to go?”

“Hell yeah! Shuichi is coming with us too, isn’t that right bro?” Kaito added.

“Y-yeah…” he smiled nervously, not sure what he was getting himself into. He knew how excited Kaito got during movies.

“Well then, let’s go!” he commanded.

The three of them made their way to the local movie theater, with Shuichi driving, and watched the movie. Afterwards they exited the theater, Kaito excitedly ranting about the movie they had just seen.

“... and the part where the villain reveals he was actually the hero’s uncle was such a cool twist! Don’t you guys think so too?” he beamed.

“Not really. It was kind of cliché.” Maki replied.

“But that was the best part!” he argued, “Then the hero won the battle and saved the day as always! What a cool guy, right Shuichi?”

“Sure…” Shuichi answered, not really up to discussing the movie. His mind was still on the events of the previous day and this morning with the phantom thief.

“Shuichi, it everything okay? You seem kind of out of it.” Maki observed.

“What?! Is that true, Shuichi?” Kaito exclaimed.

“I don’t know…” he began, “Work has just been really crazy lately.”

“Wanna talk about it? There’s no way I’d let my sidekick be sad!” Kaito pounded his fists together and gave Shuichi a reassuring look.

“N-no, it’s fine, really! I’m just stressed, that’s all.” he lied. He felt bad lying to his best friends but he just wasn’t quite ready to talk about the situation yet, as he himself could hardly comprehend it. He would have to wait a while before bringing it up to anyone.

Maki eyed him closely, watching his reaction. “If you say so…”

\-----------

Shuichi returned to his apartment, exhausted after the days events. Just as he was going to crawl into bed he heard a familiar knocking sound. He walked over to the window and saw none other than Kokichi waiting out there with a toothy grin on his face.

“Kokichi!” he exclaimed, “What are you doing out there?! It's dangerous!”

Kokichi took that as a cue to let himself in, climbing in the kitchen through the window. 

“I came to see my beloved Shumai of course!” he grinned.

“Sure…” he began, “Come in.”

“I see you’ve tidied up the place since I was last here! You must really wanna impress me, don’t ya?”

It was true that Shuichi had made his apartment a bit cleaner since his last encounter with the thief- if he were to be having unexpected visitors, he didn't want his place looking like a mess.

“Oh, yeah…” he looked at the ground awkwardly.

Kokichi outstretched his hand to extend two small rectangular pieces of paper out towards Shuichi. “Look what I’ve got!”

“Are those tickets? For what?”

“For the local fair! Tomorrow’s the last day, and I'm gonna take you there before it ends!” he spoke excitedly.

Shuichi smiled warmly, “Okay. How about we go after I work?”

_Was this… a date?_

“Sure thing! Now come on, one of my favorite movies is on TV!” he practically bounced off the walls with excitement.

_Cute._

The two boys snuggled together on the couch under the blankets as Kokichi flipped through the channels on the TV, looking for the aforementioned movie. Eventually, he found it, and brought himself closer to Shuichi, resting his head on his shoulder. Shuichi responded by leaning in, bringing their bodies even closer.


	9. Super Fluffy Date at the Fair!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this fluff will kill you skskskssk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kinda short so think of it as like a oneshot or smth. angst is coming soon though so watch out

A vibrant orange color with a twinge of red tinted the sky, the sun setting ever so slowly. The two boys walked in sync, the crinkling of leaves beneath their steps audible. Accompanying the scenery was a light breeze, the cool air being warded off by layers of clothing. Little bits of autumn had been sprinkled throughout the town, gradually finding their place and overtaking the heat of summer. The cool air was refreshing.

“Shuichi, let's go on the ferris wheel first! Wait no, the swing ride! Save the ferris wheel for last! Hey look, cotton candy!” Kokichi was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.

Shuichi smiled softly, “How about we go on some rides first, then get some food?”

“O-kayyy! Swing ride it is!” he emphasized with a bounce in his step.

The pair waited in line for a few minutes before boarding the ride, sitting in a double swing so that they were right next to each other. While Shuichi was not a fan of heights, the delighted expression on Kokichi’s face had made up for it entirely.

“Look, Shuichi! We’re flying!” he grinned.

“Y-yeah…” Shuichi mumbled.

“Don’t tell me my beloved Shuichi is afraid of heights?!” he asked dramatically.

“I’m not afraid! I’m just not used to rides like this, that’s all…” he defended.

“Poor Shumai! Here, I’ll make you feel better!” he reached his hand over and interlaced his fingers with Shuichi’s, gripping his hand tightly. Shuichi felt the het rise to his face and squeezed back, enjoying the contact.

_His hands are so tiny..._

The two boys sat in peaceful silence until the ride was over. After departing the swing ride, Kokichi became distracted by the classic carnival game where you had to bounce a ball into a cup. It was three balls for one dollar, and there were six cups arranged together in a triangle. After his third try, Kokichi came close to giving up out of frustration.

“Ugh! Come _on,_ I was so close that last time!” he exclaimed, “This game has gotta be rigged!”

Shuichi chuckled, amused at the frustration in his tiny boyfriend over such a trivial game. “Do you want me to try?”

“Ooh, good idea! You try, Shuichi!” he stepped aside Shuichi have his aim with the last ball. It went in the center cup on his first shot.

“Woah! You did it!” he proudly stated, “That’s my super smart detective boyfriend!”

Before Kokichi could draw too much attention to them, Shuichi quickly cut off his praises. “Oh, it was nothing…” he said shyly.

The man running the game handed over a huge stuffed bear to Shuichi, who in turn gave the bear to Kokichi. “Here.”

Kokichi blushed and held the giant stuffed bear to his chest, looking up at Shuichi and smiling.

Shuichi looked fondly at his boyfriend, “Is there anything else you wanna do while we’re here?” 

“Yeah, one more thing! There’s something I wanna do on the ferris wheel! But first, let’s go get some cotton candy!”

“Sure.” Although Shuichi couldn’t match the excitement of his boyfriend, he certainly was enjoying himself. Normally he would have been exhausted by all this walking around, but being around Kokichi was… different. He felt energized, like he could do anything around him. He felt unstoppable.

The couple grabbed some cotton candy on the way to the ferris wheel, Shuichi holding it in his right hand while his left was intertwined with Kokichi’s. Since Kokichi’s other hand was occupied by carrying the stuffed bear, he would part his lips every so often and Shuichi would feed the cotton candy to him. Shuichi blushed a bit during this, but soon enough got used to the maneuver.

Finally, they arrived at the ferris wheel. 

The two boys boarded the ride in their own carriage, shared between just the two of them. They sat opposite of each other, staring into one another’s eyes. By now the sun had finished setting and darkness had descended upon them, bright stars dotting the sky above them. 

The ferris wheel slowly begin to take off, raising them up in the air at a relaxing pace.

“So what did you want to do while were up here?” Shuichi asked.

“You have to wait, Shumai! Till we get to the very top of the ferris wheel!” he smiled.

“Okay…” he didn't know why, but he could feel anxiety pooling up in the bottom of his stomach. He trusted Kokichi, but he never knew what the smaller boy could have up his sleeve.

A few minutes passed before they arrived at the top of the ferris wheel. The ride came to a stop, and the two of them gazed into each other’s eyes. Kokichi had an impish smirk on his face, and Shuichi felt his anxiety heighten. But before he knew it, all his worries had dissolved as he felt a soft pair of lips meet his own. Kokichi placed his hands on Shuichi’s shoulders and pulled him closer, and Shuichi followed suit by placing his hands on the other boy’s waist.

The pair remained like this for a bit before pulling apart, each of them out of breath. It was silent save for the small gasps of air that they each took. 

“...There.” Kokichi broke the silence.

“Hm?”

The smaller boy smiled. “That’s what I wanted to do at the top of the ferris wheel, silly!”

Shuichi smiled and took Kokichi’s hands into both of his own, relishing the way that the other boy’s eyes sparkled with excitement. 

“I… I love you, Kokichi.” he bravely stated.

Kokichi’s eyes widened and the faintest blush appeared on his face in the darkness.

“I love you too.”


	10. A Lot of Bad Shit Happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> see title

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhhhhhhhh im getting writers block so updates might be scarce?? i have up to ch 12 done so dont worry about that but who knows what will happen after that

The night that the two boys spent together the previous day was phenomenal. Any awkwardness in their relationship had instantly been smoothed over, the two of them now perfectly comfortable in one another's presence. 

After they had left the fair, they had returned to Shuichi’s apartment, Kokichi entering through the door rather than the window for the very first time. It was already past midnight, so the couple decided that it would be best for Kokichi to spend the night again. Not that Shuichi minded the company at all, that is.

Eventually, the sun rose, bringing the morning with it. The detective was roused from sleep by his alarm, waking him up at precisely 8:30 am. Kokichi was still fast asleep, pressed up against Shuichi with a bit of drool coming out of his mouth. Shuichi got up as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the other boy.

During his morning routine, he noticed the other boy naturally waking up from the depths of sleep. He peered at him over the kitchen counter and gave him a soft smile.

“Good morning, Kokichi.” he said warmly.

“G’morning…” he mumbled, clearly still half asleep. He groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Do you have work today?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Shuichi sighed. Placing his coffee down on the counter, he made his way towards the edge of the bed to sit next to Kokichi. He ran his hand through the smaller boys hair, admiring how cute he looked when he was a bit of a mess in the morning.

“Guess that means I gotta leave soon, huh?” he concluded aloud.

“Yeah, sorry about that. Maybe you can stop by again tonight?” Shuichi asked.

“Sure thing, my love!” he beamed. Shuichi felt a faint blush creep up on his cheeks at the nickname he had earned himself.

Kokichi hopped off the bed and stretched, preparing himself to get ready to leave. The two boys, tired as they were, both got ready silently, simply enjoying each other’s presence. However, Shuichi was unable to focus on enjoying the state of being with his lover and found his mind occupied by something else.

The date they had last night was simply magical, there was no doubt about that. But there was still something wrong. Shuichi had been searching for the phantom thief for months, years even, and now that he had finally found him he had… _fallen in love with him?_ The thought was just unbelievable.

While his heart was telling him this was right, his mind was telling him that this was just so _wrong._ He knew that bringing up the subject would likely result in no progress being made, seeing as neither of them would be willing to change their lifestyle, yet keeping this inside of him was slowly eating at him and driving him mad. 

Shuichi had been a detective ever since he could remember, and there was no way he would give up his job just for some silly romance with an infamous criminal. While he was unsure of how long Kokichi had been engaging in illegal acts, he was sure that the other boy would not want to give up his way of life either. Thinking about this caused another thought to cross Shuichi’s mind: aside from the fact that he was a criminal, he knew nearly nothing about the other boy. For heaven’s sake, he could be lying to him about loving him in the first place.

He hated to have such a thought appear in his mind, but he couldn't help it. Their relationship could be founded on a mountain of lies and there was nothing Shuichi could do about it. Ultimately, he decided to be honest with his lover and bring this up as gently as possible.

“Listen...” Shuichi began, “There’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.”

“Yessss?”

“Its just... I don't think that we can work out like this. I mean, I’m a detective and you're a criminal! I should have turned you in by now!” Looking at the ground, he avoided eye contact. He was squeezing his fists so tightly his knuckles began to turn white.

“Well yeah, duh, but isn't that what makes this exciting? The fact that it’s so taboo?” Kokichi seemed unaffected by the outburst of emotions on the other boys part.

“No! It’s not!” Shuichi spat vehemently, “You’re not even taking this seriously!”

“ _I’m_ not taking this seriously? That's funny. I don't recall being the one that lied.” he said dryly.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Kokichi spoke flatly, as if all emotion had left his body. “When you said you loved me yesterday, you were lying, weren’t you?”

“No! I.... I don't know!”

“Heh, I knew it. No one could ever love a criminal like me...”

“Don’t try and guilt trip me now! You’re the one who lies more than I do! How do I know you've meant anything you’ve ever said to me!”

Kokichi sighed, trying to prevent himself from lashing out. “I never lied to you, Shuichi...” He could feel tears forming at the corners of his eyes. “Is that what this is about now? Me lying to you? I thought this was about me being a criminal and you being a detective.”

“It is! I just... I can’t believe you think _I_ lied to _you.”_

Kokichi’s face went blank; He said nothing. A moment or so passed before he spoke.

“Well what do you want me to do, huh? Give up my life of crime just because you said so?”

“I’m not asking you to do that! It’s just...”

“It’s just _what?”_

“I- I can’t be in love with a criminal! I just can’t!”

Another moment of silence passed between the two, neither of them able to find the right words to say.

“Fine, then....” Kokichi made his way to the window. Shuichi didn’t stop him.

And with that, the apartment had one less person in it.

————

The streets were desolate at this hour, with few cars passing by and hardly any pedestrians roaming the sidewalk. Kokichi sniffled to himself, wiping the tears from his eyes as he took quick steps across the pavement.  
_Fine. I don’t need him anyway. It’s my fault for thinking I could rely on somebody like him._

Kokichi picked up the pace, the chill of the breeze starting to get to him through his thin layers. He hadn't planned on spending the night alone, after all. As he walked, he noticed the lack of life within the town around him. It was no wonder that it was quiet at this hour, but it seemed a little _too_ quiet.

It took him a few seconds to register the feeling of the cold metal being held against his throat.

“What's the matter with you, eh? Tough breakup or somethin’?” the voice from behind spoke

Kokichi froze immediately, He didn't recognize the voice, but this type of encounter wasn't entirely unprecedented.

_Shit! I never should’ve left all by myself! I never fucking should’ve-_

“A little runt like you shouldnt be walking around by himself!” another voice spoke up, this time from the front. Kokichi could see the faint outline the man who spoke. “What’s the leader of D.I.C.E. doing out this late, huh?”

“Who the hell are you?!” Kokichi barked out, wary of the knife pressed against him.

“Heh, no need to worry about that. All you need to know is that we’re from a group that tired of you guys hogging all the spotlight. It’s ‘bout time we did something about it.” he smirked, bending down to become eye level with Kokichi.

Before he could respond, the man lunged at Kokichi and swung with all his might, knocking him out cold. The other man put the knife in his pocket and slung Kokichi over his shoulder.

“Tch. Such a fucking lightweight. Can't believe this guy is the leader of D.I.C.E.” he complained, “Let’s get him back to base before anyone notices.”

In the quiet of the night, the two men carried their captive back to their territory for further interrogation. Unknowingly, Shuichi Saihara shut out the lights in his apartment and drifted off into a deep slumber, completely unaware of the events that had transpired.


	11. Shuichi Almost Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> someone save my precious boys i just want them to be happy (ignoring the fact that i wrote this sksksksk)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I RETURN FROM THE VOID TO BRING YOU YET ANOTHER CHAPTER OF MY SPONTANEOUS PHANTOM THIEF AU. also i just started college so updates may be scattered whoops

A full twenty four hours had passed since the argument between Shuichi and Kokichi had transpired. Shuichi gently placed his cup of tea of the table in front of his spot on the couch. He warrily glanced towards the window, watching for any signs that Kokichi might be coming back. He wanted to apologize for his outburst of emotions yesterday, but with no way to contact the thief he simply had to wait for Kokichi to come to him. But Kokichi didn’t seem to be dropping by anytime soon.

One night turned into several with no sign of Kokichi. Under normal circumstances Shuichi would be worried for his well-being, but for the time being he had just figured that Kokichi was still upset. 

_Ding dong!_

The sound of the doorbell ringing pulled Shuichi out of his thoughts. He rose up from the couch and went to answer the door.

“What’s up, bro? Hope you don’t mind me dropping by like this!”

“Ah, Kaito. Come on in.” he opened the door wider and gestured for Kaito to come in his apartment. “Of course I don’t mind you coming. But what brings you here?”

“You haven’t been answering any of my texts, and I haven’t seen you since last week! Can you blame me for worrying about my sidekick?” he stated.

_Has it really been that long?_

Ever since the incident with Kokichi had happened, Shuichi had become more reclusive than usual: he would come home right after class without talking to Kaito or Maki that much, and he neglected to answer any text messages or phone calls from them. 

Kaito continued, “Me and Maki have been worried sick about you! Are you sure you’re okay, man? You don’t look so good.”

The apartment was a mess; papers and various types of garbage were strewn about the apartment. His hair was dirty and he hadn’t eaten in god knows when, his anxieties about upsetting Kokichi eating away at him.

“Oh, um… I’m fine. It’s just that work has been pretty hectic this week.” he lied.

Kaito looked at him quizzically, but then gave him the benefit of the doubt. “Alright! As long as everything is okay!” he gave him his signature smile. He surveyed the area about him, noticing how messy the apartment was. Then, he drew his attention to Shuichi’s disheveled appearance. “I was gonna suggest getting a bite to eat, but it sure looks like you could use some help cleaning this place up! Mind me giving you a hand?”

Thank god. Shuichi was _not_ up to going out to do something given how shitty he felt. 

The two boys remained silent for a while, idly cleaning up the apartment and throwing out obvious garbage that was lying about the place. Shuichi contemplated to himself whether or not he should tell Kaito about his relationship with Kokichi. He obviously couldn’t tell him about him being the phantom thief and all, but he decided it would be fair to at least let his best friend know about his relationship. Especially when it had been making him _this_ upset.

Shuichi momentarily stopped cleaning and stood up straight to face the other boy. “Kaito, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Hm? What is it, bro?” he asked.

“I…” he looked down, avoiding eye contact, “I got into an argument with my boyfriend. That’s why I’ve been so upset lately.” He sighed out of relief, finally getting this out of his system.

“Woah! Boyfriend?! I had no idea, Shuichi!” How come you didn’t tell me about this sooner?” he questioned.

“It’s… complicated.” Shuichi stammered.

“How did you guys meet?” he asked

“It’s, uh, a friend from work.”

_Yeah, that’s it. A friend from work._

“Well, I don’t really get how that’s complicated… but if my sidekick says so, then it’s probably true! I believe in you!” he smiled.

Kaito began to question him about every little detail of his relationship, too curious for his own good. His continuous questions eventually branched out to different topics, the pair talking about anything and everything that came to mind. At least with Kaito around, Shuichi could temporarily forget about his worries for Kokichi.

\----------

Just like any other day, Shuichi had woken up and prepared himself for work. He was out the door in no time, taking his daily walk to the coffee shop and then to his uncle’s detective agency. After getting his coffee, he continued walking along the busy sidewalk.

Nothing was particularly out of place, save for the reservations in the back of his mind he had for Kokichi’s whereabouts. He was sure that the boy had to be up to no good, but there was nothing he could do about that without any information on where he was. Shoving these thoughts aside, he continued walking.

That was, until he felt a cold piece of metal being pressed against his lower back along with a click. He immediately froze in place; his whole body stiffened. 

“Keep walking.” a deep voice spoke into Shuichi’s ear.

Shuichi did as he was told, though his body was shaking. 

“Act normal. Don’t draw any attention to us.” the voice said.

Shuichi nodded and kept walking. Shortly, he was led into a dark and abandoned alley. The gun being pressed against him was removed, allowing him to let out a sigh of relief. The man stood in front of him and pressed his weight forward so that Shuichi was trapped in the alley.

He froze again when he heard the familiar click of a revolver, now being pointed at him.

“What is your affiliation with D.I.C.E.?” the man asked.

“H-huh? D.I.C.E.?” Shuichi could feel himself starting to sweat. He had no idea who this man was or what this ‘D.I.C.E.’ was; all he was doing was trying to get to work.

“Don’t act like you don't know! We saw their leader exit from your apartment last night!” the man yelled.

_Is he talking about Kokichi? But what is D.I.C.E.? Could it be his organization?_

“I-I don’t know what youre t-talking about!” Shuichi stuttured. The man brought the gun closer and pressed it up against Shuichi’s throat.

“Tell me everything you know about D.I.C.E. or I’ll kill you!”

“Okay! U-Umm… I knew he was with some sort of secret organization but I never even knew what it was called! I swear I don’t anything about D.I.C.E.!” Shuichi answered truthfully.

“Then how do you know their leader?” the man asked.

“He’s… He’s my b-boyfriend.” Shuichi immediately regretted revealing such information, but being held at gunpoint he didn’t really have any choice.

“Tch! That kid’s your boyfriend and you didn’t even know about his organization? Some kinda shit boyfriend you are!” the man finally lowered his gun and put it away. Shuichi remained frozen, too scared to move.

“Hey.” the man said threateningly, “If I find out you lied to me I _will_ kill you.” He brought his face dangerously close to Shuichi’s. 

The man turned to walk away, leaving Shuichi frozen in fear in the alley. Just as he was about to turn the corner, Shuichi bravely spoke up against his conscious wishes.

“What have you done with Kokichi?” he didn’t know _what_ had come over him, but he suddenly felt more confident than before. 

The man stood in place, not saying anything. Suddenly, he turned to Shuichi and walked dangerously close yet again.

“189 104th street. If you want to save your boyfriend, show up to that address. If you don’t mind risking your life, that is.” the man smirked, and left Shuichi alone to contemplate his next actions.


	12. Shots are Fired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dont read if u dont wanna see minor gun violence!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this a while ago but the ending still kills me every time hhhhhhhhh

Shuichi clenched his fist, letting out an aggravated sigh. 

_Those bastards!_

He slammed his fist against the brick wall of the alleyway.

_How could I let something like this happen? I couldn’t protect him… Damn it!_

He let out a more calm sigh and collected himself, not wanting to draw the attention of anyone passing by. Dusting himself off, he walked out of the alley, making his way back to his apartment to retrieve his gun. Looks like he would have to call in sick for work today.

—————

Shuichi arrived at the address he was told earlier, his gun sitting comfortably in its holster. It was a tattered and worn out building, one that hadn’t been occupied by anyone in quite a while. The building appeared to be the perfect place for criminals to hang out. Shaking with anxiety, Shuichi stepped forward and cautiously entered the abandoned building. 

Pushing open the door, Shuichi quietly stepped inside. Quickly surveying his surroundings, he immediately noting that he should’ve brought a flashlight. He made his way through the dust and rubble of the hallway; the place seemed as if it were falling apart. Another thing he noticed was that no one seemed to be there at the moment. Shuichi was grateful for that, since he really did not want to run into any conflict while here. His main goal was to find Kokichi and escape as quickly as possible.

After a thorough investigation of the place he realized that the building was, in fact, empty at this particular moment. Luck couldn’t even begin to describe it; Shuichi thanked whatever gods there were that were on his side today. He made his way into a large, open room with a chair in the center. Before he could even register what was in the room, his thought process was interrupted by a familiar childlike voice cutting through the air.

“Back already?” the voice responded weakly, “Come to torture me some more?”

“K-Kokichi?!” Shuichi gasped.

_Torture? What exactly had been going on here?!_

“Shuichi? How did you… No, _why_ did you come here? You could get killed!”

“I know.” Shuichi placed his hand on the gun he had concealed, “I couldn’t have just left you here after hearing what happened! What the hell happened to you!” his voice cracked, and he felt tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes. He approached Kokichi in order to get a better look at him: his hair was a mess, there were bruises on his face and blood was coming out of his lip. His arms and legs were bound to the chair, offering him little room to escape. There evidently had been some sort of an interrogation going on here, but for what Shuichi had no idea.

“Oh, this? Heh, this is nothing…” he turned his head in order to hide some of his more harsh bruises from Shuichi, “Just a little roughed up is all.” 

“D-Don’t say that, Kokichi! You’re all beat up! Why did they do this to you?!” his voice boomed in the otherwise quiet room.

“I… shouldn’t really talk about that while I’m still here.” he glanced behind Shuichi, seemingly wary of his rivals coming back. “Would you mind untying me?”

“O-Oh, of course!” How could he have forgotten that?

It was quiet as Shuichi untied the bonds that held Kokichi in place. Taking his time to smoothly untie each knot, Shuichi worked a bit slowly, thus drawing out the silence between them. 

Kokichi broke the silence by softly uttering a few words.

“I can’t believe you actually come for me…” he had a small smile on his face as he spoke. “Y’know… after what you said…”

Shuichi momentarily stopped his work on the ropes and looked at the other boy. “Kokichi… You know I would never-“

“What the hell is going on in here!” an irritated voice bellowed.

_Uh oh_

A very large and round man made his way into the room, taking long, slow steps. 

“Just who the hell do you think you are, tryna let our captive free, huh?”

Kokichi gritted his teeth, “Don’t you _dare_ lay a finger on him!”

“Shut up!” the mysterious man struck Kokichi’s face with the gun he was holding, causing him to bleed even more. Shuichi flinched at the sight. He withdrew his gun from its holster and stood up, facing the man.

“Let him go.” Shuichi demanded, “He didn’t do anything wrong!”

“You’re one to talk.” the man said, cocking the gun at Shuichi, “Now get the hell outta here before I kill you!”

Shuichi was trembling; with shaky hands, he rose the gun up slightly and pointed it at the man. Without warning, he shot him in the leg and shoved the gun back in its holster. Fearing for his life, he really had no other choice. He made quick work of the ropes tying down Kokichi, trying his best to drown out the cries of the man he just shot. Once Kokichi was untied, he helped him get to his feet.

“Can you walk?” Shuichi asked, voice full of concern.

“Yeah…” Kokichi insisted that he could walk, although his steps were staggered and uneven. Shuichi slung Kokichi’s arm over his shoulder so that he could walk, which helped tremendously.

“We better get out of here before the rest of them come back.” Kokichi said weakly.

They exited the building, their steps aligning with one another so that they were walking in sync. Shuichi’s car was parked a few blocks down, so they made their way in that direction. There was a comfortable yet stiff silence between the two of them as they walked, the air tensing a bit. 

“I’m sorry for what I said, Kokichi. I should’ve never said what I said to you.” Shuichi apologized. 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry for getting you involved in all this. We’ll call it even, okay?” he smiled at Shuichi despite his wounds.

Shuichi smiled back and nodded, “Yeah.”

—————

The couple had arrived back at Shuichi’s apartment, as if nothing had ever happened between them. Kokichi flopped down on Shuichi’s bed, spreading himself out to take as much space as possible.

“God this bed feels so _comfortable…”_

“I would assume so, after being tied to a chair for… how long were you there again?” Shuichi asked.

“Who knows… I lost count. Maybe three days?” he closed his eyes and relaxed on the bed, “All I know is that I’m _starving._ Is my beloved Shuichi gonna make me something to eat? I might die if you don’t…” he whined.

Shuichi rolled his eyes. He knew Kokichi must be worn out, but now wasn’t really the time to joke about. Still, that couldn't be helped; It was just Kokichi’s nature.

“What do you want, then?”

“Shumai!”

“Okay, then I’ll-“

“Non, non! I want you, my beloved Shumai!”

Shuichi felt the heat rise to his face. “W-What?” he stammered.

Kokichi gestured towards the remaining space on the bed next to him. “Cuddle with me, Shumai! I missed you soooo much!” he practically begged.

Shuichi crawled underneath the covers next to Kokichi, draping the blanket over the two of them. The two of them brought their bodies closer, Kokichi resting his head against Shuichi’s chest. Shuichi wrapped an arm around him, pulling him in closer. Soon enough, the exhausted Kokichi had fallen asleep, and not long after Shuichi followed suit. The two boys remained close to each other in their sleep, relishing in the warmth of each other’s bodies. They drifted deeper and deeper into sleep, merely enjoying each other’s presence.


	13. Kaito and Kokichi meet!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the end is almost near so have some fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> h

Sunlight crept in through the window, illuminating the dimly lit apartment. The two boys lay together in bed, the rest of the room still and silent. A small breeze blew through the open window, giving a bit of life to the room. Shuichi stirred in his sleep and slowly woke up, the light from the window blearing in his eyes. 

“ShuShu is finally up…” Kokichi, who was laying on Shuichi’s chest, gave him a sleepy smile. It was rather rare to see Kokichi look so… innocent. 

“I am.” Shuichi smiled back, running his hair through the smaller boy’s hair, “Did you sleep well?”

Kokichi responded by stretching and letting out a small groan, followed by burying his head back in Shuichi’s chest. 

“You’re making it sound like I’m not done sleeping…” he responded groggily.

“Come on,” Shuichi patted him on the back gently, “I’ll make you breakfast, okay?” 

Kokichi peeked up at Shuichi, “Waffles?”

“Sure,” Shuichi chuckled.

It had been just yesterday that Shuichi had rescued his boyfriend from the clutches of evil- well, ignoring the fact that Kokichi could technically be considered “evil” as well- and brought him back to his apartment. To Kokichi, this apartment was a safe haven from all the bad things that had happened to him. However, the memories of the previous few days had not yet faded, and Shuichi was well aware of that. For someone who had just been kidnapped and interrogated, Kokichi was acting exceptionally like himself. Shuichi would have to breach the subject with caution. 

“Kokichi, there’s, uh…” Shuichi began awkwardly.

“What is it, Shumai? Are you finally gonna confess your love to me?”

“No, I- you already know I- that’s not the point!” Shuichi stammered. He sighed, then began once more:

“About yesterday…” 

“What about it?”

“I just… You’re acting so much like yourself, like nothing ever happened at all. I’m worried about you.” Shuichi stated calmly.

“Worried? About me?” Kokichi cocked his head like a confused puppy. His face was blank and his eyes were wide with feigned innocence. “Why?”

“Kokichi…” Shuichi sighed, dejected. “You know you can trust me, right?”

Kokichi stared at him blankly, mulling it over in his head. He was sitting with his legs crossed on the middle of the bed, clinging onto the bed sheets. “Yeah… I know. Sorry. Guess I’m just not used to having someone worry about me.”

Shuichi smiled warmly, though his heart hurt at the thought of Kokichi having no one that cares about him. “Don’t be sorry, it’s fine. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really, but who am I kidding?” he sighed, clearly abject to talking about whatever had transpired. “The past few days were a mess.”

Shuichi sat down on the edge of the bed, facing Kokichi. He placed his hand on Kokichi’s thigh for comfort. With a pained expression on his face, Shuichi asked, “It wasn’t because of that argument we had, was it?”

Kokichi was silent for a few moments. Was it because of the fight they had the other day? If it weren’t for that, he would never had been in the wrong place at the wrong time… No, that can’t be right… These guys would’ve found Kokichi eventually, regardless of when or where he was.

“Of course not! Those bad guys would’ve kidnapped me any chance they got!” Kokichi smiled, but his blank expression returned immediately after. He looked down at the bed, pondering his next words. “It was about time they came after me anyway.”

_What kind of history does D.I.C.E. have? Scratch that, what kind of history does Kokichi have?_

“Kokichi… You’re safe now.” Shuichi eyed Kokichi carefully, studying his reaction. Kokichi may be great at lying, but he had let his guard down just a bit around Shuichi; the shudder of his shoulders and the traumatized look in his eyes showed that he was uncomfortable talking about the subject at hand. “I promise nothing like that will ever happen to you ever again. Hell, I’ll even have those guys arrested if you want me to.”

“Heh, don’t worry about it. That would just makes things more complicated for my organization as well.” he chuckled.

 _That’s right, Kokichi’s organization… D.I.C.E., was it? But now isn’t really the time to ask…_

“Shuichi.” 

“H-Huh?”

“...Never mind. Neheehee, I’m hungry!” his cheerful disposition had returned, easily covering up his previous vulnerability.

_What was that about? Am I sure he’s okay?_

“Ah, right. I’ll start making breakfast.” Shuichi shoved his thoughts in the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand.

The previous day’s events had taken a toll on Shuichi as well. Having to break into an abandoned building and shoot someone wasn’t exactly part of Shuichi’s typical routine, and the sound of the ear-splitting gunfire still rang in his ears. Nonetheless, he prioritized Kokichi’s well-being over his own, ignoring his own stability in favor or making sure his boyfriend was okay. Although he wasn’t exactly sure that Kokichi was well, he decided to not further press the subject and opted to begin making breakfast instead.

————-

After the pair had eaten breakfast, Kokichi had migrated to the couch while Shuichi sat at his desk, sorting through paper after paper. While he appeared to be doing work-related things, his mind was elsewhere. He was thinking about the ordeal that he and Kokichi had been through the past few days: first they had an argument, and then there was the whole kidnapping situation. Were they just to forget about what it was they had fought about? The kidnapping incident only made the matter more complicated, as Shuichi couldn't get the police involved without getting Kokichi in big trouble as well. It was an overwhelming amount of information for Shuichi to try to process on his own.

“Hey Shuichi!”

“Hm?”

“What do you wanna do today?” Kokichi asked.

Shuichi put down the paper in his hand and turned to the smaller boy. “Are you sure you wanna go do something? I’d figure you’d want to stay here and rest.”

“But resting is sooo boring!” he turned and rested his chin on top of his pillow, looking at Shuichi with big puppy eyes. “Pleaseeeee, I’m gonna die of boredom!” he begged.

_Ding dong!_

Before Shuichi could respond, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Shuichi opened the door, only to be faced with none other than-

“Kaito! What’re you doing here?” he said nervously. He had never thought about introducing Kokichi to his best friend yet, and the thought filled him with worry. What if he saw right through his lie about his boyfriend being a friend from work?

“I was in the area and decided to drop by! Just checking up on my sidekick!” he walked into the room, immediately noticing it’s other inhabitant. “Who’s this?” The two made eye contact, gazing at each other curiously.

“That’s Kokichi. He’s, um… he’s my boyfriend.”

“Oh man, it’s about time I met him! Nice to meet ya! The names Kaito!” he extended a hand towards Kokichi, who stood up from the couch and made his way towards the others. He shook the hand that was extended towards him.

“Kaito, huh? I’ve heard loads about you!” he smiled back. 

“Wish I could say the same! Shuichi’s been super secretive about you for so long, I had no idea we’d get to meet so soon!” Kaito responded.

“Is that so?” Kokichi eyed Shuichi curiously, who responded by placing a hand on the back of his head and looking down shyly.

“Sorry for interrupting you two! Seriously, I had no idea! I’m so happy for ya Shuichi! So why don’t we get to know each other? Shuichi hasn’t told anything about you besides the fact that you’re a friend from work! So what do you do?” Kaito spoke quickly, clearly enthused.

_Shit. This conversation is going exactly where I expected it to. I have to do something quick, or else-_

“I’m Shuichi’s assistant! As you can tell, we’ve gotten pretty close, neheehee!” he lied.

_Ah. Or that could work._

“I didn’t know you had an assistant Shuichi! That’s pretty neat!” Kaito replied. “So why Shuichi, huh?”

“K-Kaito! You can’t ask something like that!” Shuichi exclaimed.

“Aw, why not? I can’t have my best friend dating just anyone!”

“Kaito, please-“

“I don’t mind!” Kokichi interjected, “It’s cuz Shuichi is super good at what he does, plus he has really pretty eyelashes!”

Shuichi’s face turned beet red with embarrassment, and he immediately objected to this exchange.

“T-That’s enough!” he burst out, exasperated. 

“Aaaaand, he’s so cute when he gets all embarrassed!” Kokichi cooed, flustering Shuichi even more. 

“What about you Shuichi?” Kaito asked.

“H-Huh?”

“Yeah, Shuichi! Why me?” he asked innocently, as if he wasn’t a highly sought after criminal.

“Um…” Shuichi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to drive out the embarrassment from his flushed face. 

“Aw, come on Shuichi! Is there really nothing you can think of?” Kokichi feigned being upset.

“O-Of course not! I’m just… thinking, that’s all.” Shuichi defended himself.

“Poor guy! We’ve totally embarrassed him! Let’s give him a break, eh?” Kaito joked.

Shuichi sighed. “Since when are the two of you teaming up against me?”

“Neheehee, don’t take it personally Shuichi! I understand! There’s just _soooo_ much to love about me isn’t there!” he grinned.

The three boys continued to talk for the next half an hour, Kokichi and Kaito getting to know each other a bit better. The two of them seemed to get along well, and Kokichi lied whenever necessary in order to smooth the bumps out in their conversation. Overall, things went well, and when Kaito left it was with a big smile and hopes to bring Maki with him next time. And thus, the two boys were alone again. They were cuddling on the couch, watching whatever was on at the moment. Kokichi leaned his head on the taller boy’s shoulder and slowly nodded off, sounded more and more sleepy when he conversed with Shuichi. It was silent for a few minutes before Kokichi spoke up again.

“Thank you, Shuichi…” he mumbled.

“Hm? For what?” Shuichi wondered aloud.

“For saving me…” he stated as he drifted off further into his nap, “...even after what I said to you…”

Shuichi gave him a soft smile and pulled him in closer, placing a soft kiss on his forehead in lieu of a reply. And with that, Kokichi nodded off into a deep sleep with the comfort of Shuichi’s warmth right by his side.


	14. The Finale!!!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> light angst + fluff!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS THE ENFD IM SORRY THE ENDING I S SO ABRUPT I JUST WNTED TO END THIS ALREADY HHHHHH THE ENDNG IS HORRIBLE

Shuichi slowly fluttered his eyelids open, the world around him gradually blossoming into view. Bits of blue and green flooded his vision as he found himself buried in a mess of blankets and pillows. Rubbing away what little bits of sleep remained in his eyes, he stretched his arms above his head. He peered over next to him at Kokichi, who was snoring softly while nestling himself in the arm of the couch. Ah, right. They had fallen asleep on the couch last night. Sighing at the prospect of being awake, Shuichi pushed himself off the couch while being careful not to wake the other boy. 

Memories of the night before came flowing into Shuichi’s consciousness like water streaming from a fountain. Though he was barely awake at the time, he remembered Kokichi’s sluggish confession of thanks for saving him. Shuichi felt his face flush with color; the smaller boy was often too stubborn to concede like so. Whether those words were uttered under the influence of a sleepy mindset, or whether Kokichi merely used this as a cover to be genuine for once, Shuichi would never know. What he did know, however, was that Kokichi had expressed gratitude for being rescued despite his obstinacy. 

Yesterday’s surprise meeting between Kokichi and Kaito couldn’t have gone better, though there was one particularly prominent part of the conversation that had bothered Shuichi when it occurred.

_“I’m Shuichi’s assistant!”_

_…_

_Why was he able to lie so easily?_

Thoughts swirled through Shuichi’s mind at breakneck pace. His heart beating out of his chest, anxiety pooling in his gut, the thoughts racing in his mind threatening to escape in the form of a haphazard interrogation against his boyfriend. As much as he hated this feeling of suspicion welling up inside of him, he couldn’t help but be curious for the truth. After all, what good would it do him if his whole relationship with Kokichi was founded upon lies?

Shuichi knew little about the other boy aside from the fact that he was an infamous criminal who had fallen in love with a detective, himself nonetheless. What if Kokichi wasn’t even his name? What if this relationship was just a plot in order to ensnare the detective and eliminate him from the picture, thus rendering him unable to expose Kokichi’s crimes? Shuichi desperately sought to erase these doubts from his mind, but nothing could quell his thirst for the truth. Was Kokichi really someone he could trust?

Glancing over at the smaller boy resting peacefully on the couch, Shuichi couldn’t help but feel guilty for having these thoughts. This did nothing to calm his nerves, however. 

_He looks so innocent and harmless… but then again, he is a highly sought after criminal. Is he really someone I should trust?_

Deciding to confront the issue at its source, Shuichi turned towards his boyfriend. Steeling himself and his resolve, he gently shook the other boy awake.

“Kich, wake up.” Shuichi nudged him ever so slightly. Though he felt bad for waking his boyfriend, he decided it was worth it since the matter was in no way trivial. 

“...Shu?” Kokichi mumbled, still dazed from his slumber. He crawled up from his spot on the couch and sat up, giving Shuichi his full attention. His eyelids were half-opened, as he struggled to keep them open for the rest of the conversation.

“We, uh... ” Shuichi hesitated, fiddling with his fingers, “We need to talk.”

Kokichi’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and he shifted his weight forward a bit, staring intently at Shuichi’s face. His face quickly returned to his blank expression. It was almost imperceptible, but Shuichi saw the flicker of anxiety that flashed through Kokichi’s eyes. 

“About what, my beloved?” he sweetly smiled, his joyous facade now back in full force.

Shuichi sighed, opting to gaze at his hands in his lap rather than to look Kokichi in the eyes. 

Where was he even supposed to begin? Surely, he couldn’t blurt out the whirlwind of thoughts that pervaded his consciousness, so where was he to start? He could try easing into the subject, but he hadn’t put enough thought into how to even begin about doing that. If anything, he needed more time to think this through. He shouldn’t have sprung himself on Kokichi so impulsively. 

“You don’t trust me, do you?” Kokichi interrupted the other boy’s thoughts, a cheeky smile on his face.

“Wha- I never said that!” Shuichi protested.

“Oh please, Shumai! It’s written all over your face! Just admit it!” he huffed, “ _How am I supposed to trust a liar like him?_ That’s exactly what you’re thinking isn’t it?” A smirk had adorned his face, as he was seemingly unfazed by the ongoing confrontation. 

“T-That’s…” Shuichi stammered. 

_Guess this is gonna be easier than I thought._

“Don’t try lying to me, Shu! I’m an expert at lying! I can detect lies from a mile away!” He crossed his arms triumphantly.

Shuichi placed both his hands on Kokichi’s shoulders, mercury irises meeting plum ones. Their eyes lingered on one another for a few moments before Shuichi spoke.

“That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. I just…” Shuichi looked down again, as if searching for his words in the leather of the sofa. He raised his eyes and continued, “I don’t know anything about you. How do I know what’s true and what’s not?”

Kokichi leaned forward and lowered his eyelids, staring at Shuichi in a beguiling manner. 

“But isn’t that what makes me _so_ interesting?” he smirked once again, his hand reaching up to cup Shuichi’s chin. “Everything about me is a complete mystery to you. A real treat for a detective like you, don’t you think?”

Shuichi felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he processed Kokichi’s statement.

_He does have a point… part of the reason why he’s so enticing is because I don’t know anything about him. If I put my trust in him, then maybe…?_

“Aww, poor ShuShu! Getting all embarrassed over nothing!” Kokichi cooed. Shuichi responded with a small pout. Without warning, Kokichi climbed on top of him, resting his hands on Shuichi’s chest. _”I’ll make sure you don’t regret putting your trust in me.”_

Shuichi gave a slight smile, tangling his hand in Kokichi’s tousled wisps of hair. 

“You better.”

Shuichi pulled him in closer, placing Kokichi’s head on top of his chest. Kokichi melted into the touch, relishing in the sound of Shuichi’s heartbeat. 

“So whaddya wanna know, Shuichi? I bet you’re just _dying_ to know all about me!”

“Actually, there is something I’d like to know.” This was it: his chance to finally find out more about the organization that Kokichi leads! Not that he would do anything malicious with the information, but this information had been taunting him for so many years that the prospect of finally obtaining information about it was so damn tantalizing. “Tell me about D.I.C.E.”

“Oho, so you _do_ know what we’re called! That’s my beloved detective!” Kokichi boasted. “Well, I hate to break it to you but that’s classified information! I can tell you anything else you wanna know, though!”

“W-What?! But you said-”

“I’m a world famous criminal, Shuichi! Can’t have you infiltrating my organization and exposing my secret’s now can I?” he snickered.

_He can’t be serious, right? Isn’t this just another one of his pranks?_

“Kokichi…” Shuichi began sternly, sitting up and hoisting Kokichi up into his lap so that the two were face to face. “Tell me.” 

“Ooh, what’s the detective gonna do to me?”

Shuichi smirked and began wiggling his fingers by Kokichi’s waist, causing the smaller boy to yelp. A nervous smile forced its way onto Kokichi’s face as a faint blush spread from his cheeks to his ears.

“S-Shuichi! Stop it!” he managed to bark out in between giggles.

“Not until you agree to tell me about D.I.C.E.” he replied, unwavering. He reversed their positions from earlier, pinning Kokichi on the couch by sitting on his legs. “Or I’ll tickle you forever~” he teased.

“Neheehee, never!” Shuichi let up for a moment to allow Kokichi to breathe. Kokichi spoke through labored breaths, “You’re gonna have to try harder than that detective!”

Shuichi spared no mercy as he fluttered his fingers all over Kokichi’s torso, poking and prodding at every ticklish spot he could find. Kokichi broke out into a fit of pure, unrestrained laughter that melted Shuichi’s heart. His laugh was comically different from the “evil” snickers that he usually paraded about with, and his mouth was splayed open in a genuine smile, one that Shuichi had never seen before. He might even dare to call it adorable.

“Okay, okay! Just stop it!” Kokichi pleaded, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He batted weakly at Shuichi’s hands, attempting to pry them off.

Shuichi complied with the smaller boy’s request and stopped tickling, looking at him expectantly.

“Jeez… you sure drive a hard bargain, don’t you?” Kokichi pouted, voice lilting with petulance. Shuichi knew that this show of disapproval from his boyfriend was fake, as he secretly cherished the intimacy between them during moments like these.  
“I’ll tell you everything.”

\----------

Two boys, hand in hand like sea otters, snoozing comfortably on the couch just as they had the night before. Rushes of blood splattered each of their cheeks as they nuzzled into one another, the warmth of their bodies spreading to each other. Though the two of them never would have predicted they would end up in a situation like this, neither of them could be any happier. Thief and detective standing alongside one another, smoothing out the bumps of their relationship with every truth and lie along the way. 

Trust was beginning to solidify between the two as Kokichi informed Shuichi about his organization, and Shuichi did the same about his life story. Though it wouldn’t be easy with their conflicting professions, the two boys swore to each other to never let the other go. Mercury irises stare into violent ones, the two colors melting together into a sea of iridescence as Kokichi poured his heart and soul into every word he spoke, tiny hands gripping the edge of the bed. Shuichi would run a hand through his plum locks and reassure him that he was perfect for him, and Kokichi would reciprocate the gesture. Honey-filled words were exchanged back and forth until the pair fell asleep, leading to their current positions. 

Upon awakening, the pair would go about their day as usual, filling in the gaps of daytime that they had slept through. Hours, days, weeks and months would pass with the couple remained blissfully happy with each other. But for now they would just sleep, falling deeper and deeper into their slumber as their love for each other likewise grew deeper and deeper. And they were perfectly content with that.


End file.
